Nancy Wilson

Obituary in The Washington Post (most informative).

Nancy Wilson had just passed away.

In record hunting, I often come across Nancy Wilson's many Capitol albums in the dollar bins. They were highly popular in their days but, as is the wont for pop music, the vast majority of the records are in poor condition. Nonetheless, I managed to score a few that were listenable, and they impressed me.

Nancy Wilson called herself a "Song Stylist" and rather prided herself on her polystylistic breath (the link quoted above is most revealing). Indeed I was most attracted by the way she turned a song into her own, indeed her style. The material was uneven, the arrangements variable, but the total command of the songstress was never in doubt. I just had a conversation with my friend Andy, who also really liked her style, more so than Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington. I can concur and do think Nancy Wilson is most under-rated. If you ask me, she is a finer jazz singer than most, just that her own priorities lied elsewhere.

Many years ago I went to a concert of hers in Carnegie Hall. She was every inch the diva, beautiful, sassy, elegant, just superb. Interestingly, if you study hard the covers of her albums, her image is that of the girl next door, but one who would occasionally reveal her sexiness. Personally, I love her often featured yellow dress.

Nancy Wilson had also been hosts to popular TV and radio programs. I urge you to sample the long running National Public Radio NPR's Jazz Profiles series. Below are pics of two of my favorites, Erroll Garner and Tommy Flanagan.